Bally Sports' Brad Evans projects the NCAA men's basketball tournament bracket if the regular season ended today.

(Power ranking listed with school)

No. 1 Seeds

Nembhard, Bolton a pair of unheralded guards. Reason why 'Zags earned auto ... again.

Absorbed the Kriisa loss with consecutive wins, including a stellar down-the-stretch showing vs. UCLA.

Acquired college basketball leading 12th Quad 1 win by outlasting Texas Tech in Big 12 final.

Why anything can happen in March? Baylor dropped game to Oklahoma team it won by 10, 14 against.

No. 2 Seeds

Abysmal from outside against unrelenting Vols. Wildcats better wake up from three, and fast.

Shot a horrific 16.2% in the first half against Texas A&M. Poof! There goes the No. 1 seed.

Defense has loosened measurably over the last month. Outside the top-130 in D efficiency during span.

Formula for success is quite simple -- get turnovers, quick buckets and rain threes. Looking like a No. 2.

No. 3 Seeds

Gillespie is an assassin. Pair of late triples in glacial matchup against Creighton sparked 'Nova to a title.

It's never easy for Boilers. 100-plus ranking in adjusted defensive efficiency always makes it interesting.

Tripped up against Michigan State. Now only 15-3 in games decided by six points or less. Fade in the Dance.

Couldn't quite get over the hump against Jayhawks. Continue to sport No.1 adjusted defensive efficiency rank.

No. 4 Seeds

Third tango with USC proved to be a 10-point victory. One of four teams top-15 nationally in offensive/defensive efficiency.

Shot making is undeniably elite. When the shots don't fall, Creighton happens. Hard team to predict.

Illinois has the ingredients to make a deep run, but they are wildly unpredictable. Poor late-game execution vs. Indiana.

Bumped into the buzzsaw that is Texas A&M. Outmuscled from tip to final buzzer. D still a force.

No. 5 Seeds

Hard to decipher team. Relentless on offensive glass. D up. Up and down effort against Cincinnati.

Old school Big East feel in physical, but short, battle with Villanova. Grabbed 15 offensive boards.

Motivated 'Zags exacted revenge on Gaels. Still a dynamite team that's always in it due to staunch D.

Thrilling banker by 10th-year senior Jordan Bohannon with ticks remaining move the Hawkeyes on.

No. 6 Seeds

Held in check by Arkansas from buzzer to buzzer. Erratic outside shooting a persistent problem -- 21.1 3PT% vs. Hogs.

Stumbling down the stretch, the 'Horns, despite their stellar D, have appearance of first round knockout.

Moronic execution late against Vandy. Another hard to place team, but SOS should elevate Tide.

Without a true PG and equipped with dreadful perimeter D, the Trojans are an early knockout candidate.

No. 7 Seeds

Once stout defense weakened down the stretch, but seemed to be reinforced in final against Aztecs.

No Zed Key. No Kyle Young. Both sorely missed against Penn St. D issues persist.

Rams rank inside the top-20 nationally in six different offensive categories. Capable of winning multiple games.

TCU is an aggressive defensive team that really gets after it on the glass. No easy W in Round of 64.

No. 8 Seeds

Rollercoaster year, but Seton Hall a presumed single-digit seed thanks to superb SOS and Q1s.

Ja Morant U a legit mid-major darling. Haven't dropped a game since Dec. 12 at Auburn. Bubble teams, exhale.

When the Spartans play controlled they can hang. See the Wisconsin game. Committed only seven TOs.

Headlock teams on defense. No. 2 in the nation in fewest points per possession allowed.

No. 9 Seeds

Honestly a very difficult team to place. Terrific Quad 1 wins. Eye test measurement says ... Blah.

Plummeting. Eagles capable of igniting from three, but bullish frontcourts a problem. Draw is everything.

Eliminated BYU from WCC tourney, erasing all doubts about at-large. Dons were in already. Now WAY IN.

Blasted and uncompetitive in lopsided loss to Virginia Tech. Here's the deal with UNC: Good luck figuring them out.

No. 10 Seeds

A complete identity flip. Previous Jays teams hyper-efficient on offense. This year, all about the D.

Defense and talent combination makes Tigers awfully dangerous. Likely squashed SMU's at-large hopes.

Fightin' Sister Jeans are back in the Dance. Veteran and experienced play at guard will prove invaluable.

Fought valiantly against Duke, yet again. Superb offensive team, but defensie is lacking.

No. 11 Seeds

Snapped 19-game losing streak in Vegas sneaking by UNLV. No doubt Cowboys are IN.

In command for roughly 90% of contest against Indiana, but couldn't slam the door.

Cattoor zoning with career high 31 points on seven made triples. VA Tech is winning multiple games.

Gut-wrenching collapse against Indiana. Didn't register a FG for nearly 13 minutes. Still, enough for at-large.

Sniped by Richmond in the A-10 final, but one of the most offensive efficient teams likely won't be left out.

No. 12 Seeds

Aggies' searing stretch in SEC Tournament has it on the brink of an auto. May have enough for at-large.

Such a tricky team to forecast for the Dance. Woeful NET ranking and three Q3/Q4 Ls, but the Q1 wins ...

Spiders crawl into field after improbable run through A-10. Golden, Gilyard and Burton stellar threesome.

Blazers catapult into the projected field after North Texas' dismissal. No. 1 ranked team in C-USA in offensive efficiency.

Jean-Baptiste miracle buzzer-beater shoots Mocs into the field. Snakes back a bite.

No. 13 Seeds

Mayo is the proper condiment. Freshman's runner with 41 seconds left a clutch basket in gaining Summit auto.

Tour de force yet again in the American East. Broken record, but Catamounts are back in the tourney.

Stellar rebounding squad, generating a second chance on 35.2% of WAC possessions.

Zippity doo dah. Akron winners of eight straight games. Pounding rock inside over stretch -- 54% from 2.

No. 14 Seeds

Bulldogs were the last Ivy League team to dance in 2019. Bulldogs are the first in league's return to tourney.

Jack happy Raiders rain torrents from outside -- 40.0 3PT% in Patriot play. Possible Cinderella.

Belo gets buckets for the Bobcats. Junior big man totaling 57.9% from inside the arc.

Peacocks punish the opposition with lockdown defense. Rank No. 6 in effective FG% D. Cinderella?

No. 15 Seeds

Send Bellarmine a gift basket. With Knight ineligible, Gamecocks earn bid after Jacksonville ousted.

Panthers on the prowl defensively ranking top-30 over the last month in D efficiency.

Toss out all of your sophomoric jokes. The Lancers are dancing, own guard play and won't be an easy out.

Fightin' Joe Flaccos are in the field after eliminating UNCW. Set pace in eFG% offense in CAA.

No. 16 Seeds

Fullerton undercut Long Beach in a late-night stunner. Getting to FT line, cashing in, the name of their game.

Upperclassmen laden Spartans wield a sharpened short sword on D – No. 29 eFG% D.

The Wright stuff. Came from behind against a scrappy and relentless NKU bunch to punch ticket.

Advance to NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. Peter Kiss is quite the showman.

Best defensive team in the SWAC allowing just 0.908 points per possession. Won at Florida in non-conf.

In the upside down Southland, the Islanders are the projected reps. No. 16 in nation in OR%.

First Four OUT

• Xavier
• Notre Dame
• SMU
• Wake Forest

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